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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 120 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 · stem · pitcher · chair · squash · bank · fork · racket

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — to crush
  5. press — to push
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fork — to eat with

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