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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · bank · press · object · pitcher · fork · mark · date

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. object — a thing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. object — an aim
  19. bank — of a river
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — to protest
  24. bear — the animal

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