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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — a song
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pass — a permit
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. track — a path
  16. stock — goods
  17. press — to push
  18. snap — to click
  19. press — a publisher
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stock — shares

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