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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — for betting
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — an amount
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — temperature
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — from a university
  19. branch — a division
  20. chip — to eat
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fan — a supporter

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