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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 · pound · branch · game · mug · bulb · toast · can

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — a division
  5. mug — to rob
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. toast — bread
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — to push
  12. mug — a face
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mug — a cup
  16. press — newspapers
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. pound — a weight
  21. can — a tin
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. branch — of a tree
  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