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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: game · fall · mouse · press · current · bank · swing · net

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. swing — music
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — to play on
  8. current — happening now
  9. fall — to drop
  10. press — newspapers
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fall — the season
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fall — to drop
  18. net — for catching
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — of water
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. press — to push

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