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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 · pitch · temple · row · clip · fine · branch · firm

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — all right
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — high quality
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. clip — a video
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — to push
  14. row — a line
  15. firm — a company
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — steady
  18. press — newspapers
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. firm — decided
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. branch — a division

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