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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. track — a path
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bound — certain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. track — a song
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mouse — the animal

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