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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: ground · swing · saw · suit · branch · press · field · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. branch — a division
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. roll — a cake
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — for sport
  9. press — to push
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. suit — in cards
  12. field — farmland
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. swing — music
  16. field — a subject
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. suit — clothes
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. suit — to fit
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ground — a position

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