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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spring — the season
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitch — completely
  9. band — a ring
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. object — an aim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. rock — a stone
  19. press — to push
  20. band — a music group
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. leaves — lets stay

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