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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — a division
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bulb — for light
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cell — in biology
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. race — humankind
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — a phone
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — from a university
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. press — a publisher
  24. arm — a part of something

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