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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — a division
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. club — a group
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. press — a publisher
  24. club — for golf

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