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

Word bank: march · chip · bank · stock · wind · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. 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. press — newspapers
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — shares
  9. press — to push
  10. march — the month
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stock — goods
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — for betting
  18. 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