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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · wave · scale · pitcher · branch · racket · wind · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wind — moving air
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. scale — size or range
  14. branch — a division
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wind — moving air
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. branch — of a tree

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