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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: drill · date · press · pitch · pop · branch · plane · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. press — to push
  4. pop — soda
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — completely
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pop — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. press — newspapers
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. drill — army training
  18. plane — a tool
  19. drill — the tool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pop — to visit
  23. drill — a practice
  24. date — on the calendar

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