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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · fan · prune · press · pitch · mark · bank · rule

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rule — a law
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — music
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — government

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