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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — newspapers
  7. perch — the fish
  8. branch — a division
  9. charge — a price
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pop — to visit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. press — to push
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — in control
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. degree — from a university

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