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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: bank · bear · game · pitch · wind · mark · press · bore

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. press — to push
  10. game — wild animals
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bore — to tire
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. game — a match
  24. bank — for money

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