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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pit — in a race
  4. net — in sport
  5. kick — in football
  6. ball — a great time
  7. net — for catching
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. press — to push
  11. branch — a division
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. press — a publisher
  15. net — after costs
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pit — a hole
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stem — a stem cell

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