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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. race — a contest
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. firm — steady
  5. press — to push
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — of ice
  11. firm — a company
  12. cap — a lid
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — newspapers
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — humankind
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — a hat
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. jam — a tight spot

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