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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — in music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. prune — to trim
  5. press — to push
  6. bank — of a river
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — shares
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. last — finally
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. press — a publisher
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. last — to go on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — final
  23. stock — goods
  24. prune — to trim

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