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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stock — shares
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stock — goods
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — a soup base

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