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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. press — newspapers
  3. branch — a division
  4. present — a gift
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bat — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — to eat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. roll — a list
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. present — there
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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