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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cue — a signal
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — the fish
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. press — to push
  14. net — for catching
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pound — a weight
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — a hint
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — in sport
  24. branch — a division

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