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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. swing — music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. swing — in golf
  7. press — to push
  8. swing — to play on
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stem — to come from
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — of law
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — a publisher
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. court — for sport
  21. branch — a division
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. court — of a king
  24. nail — on a finger

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