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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. pop — to visit
  4. branch — a division
  5. press — newspapers
  6. game — a match
  7. spell — magic
  8. march — the month
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pop — soda
  11. march — the month
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pit — in a race
  14. press — to push
  15. spell — a short time
  16. march — music
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pop — music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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