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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — to tire
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. mark — a grade
  13. press — newspapers
  14. branch — a division
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. press — to push
  18. prune — to trim
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — a company
  24. march — 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