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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. press — a publisher
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — for catching
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — after costs
  14. press — to push
  15. can — a tin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. perch — the fish
  18. clip — a video
  19. branch — a division
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. clip — to cut
  24. net — in sport

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