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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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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: jam · press · branch · club · cell · track · stick · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. press — newspapers
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. club — for golf
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cell — in biology
  16. track — to keep track
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. press — to push
  20. cell — a phone
  21. branch — a division
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. safe — a strongbox

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