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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. field — farmland
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. march — music
  10. field — for sport
  11. fine — high quality
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — all right
  24. field — a subject

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