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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: foot · straw · branch · pitch · kid · press · ball · prune

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. press — to push
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kid — child
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pitch — completely
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kid — to tease
  15. branch — a division
  16. ball — a dance
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. foot — a measure

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