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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: bank · chip · bowl · bass · bat · wind · press · mug

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chip — to eat
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mug — a face
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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