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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — a division
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. press — a publisher
  5. sharp — clever
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. firm — decided
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. perch — the fish
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. deal — to handle
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — a company
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — to push
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. press — newspapers
  24. prune — to trim

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