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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bat — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. kick — in football
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. branch — a division
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. drill — the tool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — with a leg

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