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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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Word bank
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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: mug · key · race · wave · press · bank · bass · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. race — humankind
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mug — to rob
  7. press — to push
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. race — a contest
  11. mug — a face
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. press — a publisher
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. key — in music
  22. bank — for money
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bass — low music

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