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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: spell · pitch · bowl · bank · press · pitcher · rash · tube

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bank — for money
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. tube — a container
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. press — to push
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — for money
  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