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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mark — a grade
  4. can — a tin
  5. press — to push
  6. mark — a trace
  7. club — for golf
  8. swing — music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. swing — in golf
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — to be able to
  14. root — of a word
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. swing — to play on
  18. club — a group
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. branch — a division
  21. perch — the fish
  22. root — the cause
  23. press — a publisher
  24. perch — for a bird

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