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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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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. last — finally
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — to go on
  10. ground — crushed
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. last — final
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bank — for money

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