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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 116 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: race · branch · net · press · charge · bark · pound · pit

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. charge — in control
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. charge — a price
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pit — in a race
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. charge — electricity
  19. net — in sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pit — a hole
  24. net — after costs

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