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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. club — for golf
  3. object — an aim
  4. bat — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — a publisher
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — a division
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. press — newspapers
  15. club — a group
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. object — to protest
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. row — a line
  23. club — for dancing
  24. branch — of a bank

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