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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 120 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: fan · mouse · rock · branch · rule · straw · press · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. press — a publisher
  13. branch — a division
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rule — government
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — a law
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. straw — dry grass

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