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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: bank · pit · club · saw · press · calf · bay · drill

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. drill — a practice
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — a group
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. club — for golf
  17. drill — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bank — for money
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pit — in a race

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