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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mug — a cup
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chip — for betting
  7. press — to push
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mug — a face
  14. kick — in football
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. press — a publisher
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stock — goods
  23. branch — a division
  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