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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: arm · pass · pitcher · fork · wave · band · press · bank

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. band — a music group
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bank — for money
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fork — in a road

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