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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: fan · hand · toast · snap · bowl · court · press · bank

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — of law
  5. press — newspapers
  6. court — of a king
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. court — for sport
  10. hand — help
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. snap — to click
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bank — of a river
  22. toast — bread
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fan — a supporter

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