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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: march · hide · bank · toast · pitcher · row · press · stand

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. march — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — to push
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — the month
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. press — a publisher
  21. row — to paddle
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — on your feet

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