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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 120 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: press · racket · bay · bass · spell · kick · trunk · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. spell — a short time
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spell — magic
  13. kick — in football
  14. spell — letters
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bank — for money
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. trunk — of a tree

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