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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fall — the season
  3. race — a contest
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. press — to push
  17. race — humankind
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — after costs
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — for tennis

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