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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: cap · branch · racket · chest · chip · press · mouse · bore

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. press — to push
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chest — a box
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — a division
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cap — a lid

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