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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. branch — a division
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. squash — to crush
  8. season — of the year
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. squash — the sport
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — in cards
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — money
  22. season — in sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. capital — a city

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