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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pop — soda
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pop — to visit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. press — newspapers
  10. march — the month
  11. press — to push
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pop — 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