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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — a stone
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. present — a gift
  11. bat — the animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. present — there
  16. bark — to shout
  17. capital — a city
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — to push
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. track — a song
  22. capital — money
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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