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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — the time now
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. present — there
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. track — a song
  14. pitch — completely
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. press — a publisher
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. press — to push
  21. net — for catching
  22. present — a gift
  23. branch — a division
  24. racket — for tennis

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