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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: press · bark · pop · branch · racket · cap · saw · stand

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. pop — soda
  2. cap — of ice
  3. press — a publisher
  4. branch — a division
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pop — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cap — a hat
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — to push
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  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