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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. net — for catching
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — for a lock
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. press — to push
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — of a river
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com