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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rule — government
  3. press — newspapers
  4. branch — a division
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. content — happy
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rule — a law
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. track — to keep track
  15. content — the amount
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pound — a weight
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — a publisher
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. press — to push
  24. racket — for tennis

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