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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: cap · wax · branch · pop · rock · ground · racket · press

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. pop — music
  3. rock — music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ground — a position
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ground — crushed
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ground — the earth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — a stone
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pop — soda
  19. branch — a division
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. press — to push
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cap — a hat
  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