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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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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: foot · mark · fall · field · saw · perch · press · bank

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. field — a subject
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — newspapers
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fall — the season
  10. press — to push
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — for sport
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — of a river

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