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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — a country
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spell — a short time
  6. date — the fruit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. tube — the underground
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — magic
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. land — ground
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — to push
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — letters
  21. press — a publisher
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. branch — a division

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