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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a dance
  3. object — a thing
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — to protest
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. press — to push
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — an aim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spell — a short time
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. land — ground

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