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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: bank · press · pitcher · capital · bass · trunk · present · bowl

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. press — to push
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — the fish
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. capital — money
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. present — the time now
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bank — of a river
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — there
  22. bass — low music
  23. bank — for money
  24. capital — a city

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