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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · coach · pop · row · branch · tube · press · hand

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — happy
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — to visit
  9. press — to push
  10. hand — help
  11. tube — a container
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. content — the amount
  15. pop — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. press — newspapers
  23. row — a line
  24. pop — soda

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