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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: ball · row · cabinet · branch · wound · race · deal · press

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. row — to paddle
  12. press — a publisher
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — humankind
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. row — a line
  23. press — to push
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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