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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: racket · tear · branch · ball · pop · present · fork · press

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — soda
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. press — to push
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tear — from crying
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — there
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. present — a gift
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. present — the time now

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