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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 116 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: cabinet · land · wind · bank · pass · press · drill · pitch

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. press — to push
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bank — for money
  6. wind — moving air
  7. land — ground
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. drill — army training
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. land — a country
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — a sports field

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