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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bank — of a river
  5. staff — employees
  6. stem — to come from
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — a stick
  21. press — to push
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — a stem cell

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