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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. swing — to play on
  4. net — after costs
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. net — in sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bass — low music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pass — a permit
  17. scale — in music
  18. swing — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bass — the fish
  24. swing — in 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