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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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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — to wash
  4. scale — size or range
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. scale — in music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. charge — in control
  13. perch — the fish
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. squash — the sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mine — for digging
  19. squash — to crush
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. press — to push

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