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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
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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: stick · press · bat · coach · fine · dip · bank · pop

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — newspapers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pop — soda
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. press — to push
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bank — of a river
  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