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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 bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. branch — a division
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. press — to push
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. root — of a word
  16. season — of the year
  17. fork — in a road
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — the cause
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bass — low music

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