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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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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 · band · branch · kid · pass · stock · deal · racket

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. branch — a division
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. band — a music group
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — shares
  16. kid — child
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stock — goods
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a ring
  23. stock — a soup base
  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