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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: press · bank · fall · file · roll · pitch · tube · fine

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. file — a tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. pitch — completely
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fall — the season
  6. press — a publisher
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. roll — a list
  16. tube — the underground
  17. press — to push
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — a container
  20. file — a document
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — of a river
  23. roll — on a roll
  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