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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. track — a song
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pit — in a race
  10. track — a path
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — a container
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. tube — the underground
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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