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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: pound · net · branch · press · dip · can · charge · clip

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. net — after costs
  4. clip — a video
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. press — to push
  7. can — a tin
  8. clip — for paper
  9. charge — electricity
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. press — newspapers
  12. net — for catching
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. branch — a division
  18. net — in sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. clip — to cut
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. branch — of a bank

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