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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: branch · chest · pitcher · track · mine · pop · hide · press

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. press — newspapers
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — a path
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — music
  12. chest — a box
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. press — to push
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — a publisher

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