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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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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: press · racket · clip · charge · present · suit · branch · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. charge — in control
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. present — there
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — a division
  8. suit — clothes
  9. press — to push
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. clip — for paper
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. present — the time now
  15. press — newspapers
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. clip — to cut
  18. suit — in cards
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. clip — a video
  21. roll — a list
  22. present — a gift
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. suit — to fit

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