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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.

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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: pitch · leaves · race · press · fan · march · bank · chip

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bank — of a river
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — humankind
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. race — a contest
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chip — to eat
  24. leaves — of a tree

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