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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: racket · press · trunk · cap · perch · branch · craft · club

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cap — a hat
  7. club — a group
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — a division
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — boats
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. press — newspapers
  18. club — for dancing
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. club — for golf
  22. cap — a lid
  23. craft — a skill
  24. perch — for a bird

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