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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: bank · root · saw · branch · pitcher · fine · press · straw

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. press — to push
  3. root — of a word
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bank — of a river
  9. root — the cause
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. root — of a plant
  24. press — newspapers

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