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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pop — soda
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. press — newspapers
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — to push
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pop — to visit
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mate — to breed
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pop — music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. branch — a division

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