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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: fan · track · coach · press · game · bank · present · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — the time now
  5. bank — for money
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bank — of a river
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. press — newspapers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — a gift
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. press — to push
  22. track — to keep track
  23. game — a match
  24. present — there

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