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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. craft — boats
  19. shower — rain
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ground — crushed
  24. craft — a skill

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