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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 116 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. press — newspapers
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cold — an illness
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cold — not warm
  22. field — farmland
  23. pit — a hole
  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