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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: ruler · toast · branch · net · bound · press · stem · bat

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. press — a publisher
  11. net — for catching
  12. toast — bread
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — to come from
  15. press — to push
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bound — tied together
  18. net — after costs
  19. bat — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — newspapers
  23. net — in sport
  24. branch — a division

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