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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rock — a stone
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. press — to push
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. dip — to dunk

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