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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: bank · pitch · press · can · bulb · hand · perch · net

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hand — help
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — newspapers
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. net — in sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — after costs
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — for light
  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