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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: fan · bank · press · present · suit · date · bark · field

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. field — farmland
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. date — the fruit
  6. field — for sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. press — to push
  11. bank — for money
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bark — to shout
  15. present — a gift
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — there
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. field — a subject
  22. present — the time now
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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