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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. press — newspapers
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. toast — bread
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pitch — completely
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — to push
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — tied together

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