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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: toast · net · dip · bear · press · pit · bank · chip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. net — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. net — after costs
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. toast — bread
  15. press — a publisher
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — for catching
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — in a race
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. chip — in a computer
  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