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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · bowl · bass · pitcher · rule · patient · scale · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. scale — in music
  4. bass — low music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rule — to rule out

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