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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 · foot · branch · bound · field · pitcher · shower · deal

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bound — tied together
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. bound — certain
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. press — a publisher
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. field — for sport
  23. press — to push
  24. shower — rain

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