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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: press · bowl · bass · court · bank · fall · craft · pit

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bank — for money
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fall — the season
  5. craft — boats
  6. court — of a king
  7. press — newspapers
  8. court — for sport
  9. press — to push
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — of law
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — low music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bowl — a football final

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