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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spell — letters
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. band — a ring
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spell — a short time
  12. branch — a division
  13. track — a path
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rash — a series
  16. press — to push
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a song
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. press — a publisher

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