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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. key — in music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bore — to drill
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. press — to push
  16. bore — to tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — completely
  21. key — for a lock
  22. press — newspapers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — a strongbox

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