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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: chair · bank · bulb · prune · press · mark · mate · season

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — in sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. press — to push
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — a trace

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