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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: pound · spring · wave · present · pass · pitch · branch · press

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. branch — a division
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. present — there
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — the time now
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. present — a gift
  21. pound — a weight
  22. spring — of water
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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