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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a committee
  9. press — to push
  10. staff — employees
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — a division
  18. rash — a series
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. scale — size or range
  23. press — newspapers
  24. staff — a stick

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