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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — humankind
  6. press — newspapers
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. net — in sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — wild animals
  14. net — after costs
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — for catching
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — the arms race
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. race — a contest

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