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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. press — newspapers
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. net — for catching
  6. content — happy
  7. branch — a division
  8. bat — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — to push
  18. mug — to rob
  19. net — after costs
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rule — government

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