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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. press — to push
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fork — in a road

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