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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. branch — a division
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. press — a publisher
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pound — a weight
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chair — a leader
  21. row — to paddle
  22. press — to push
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rock — music

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