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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: scale · snap · content · club · bear · press · season · branch

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. press — newspapers
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — to push
  8. scale — in music
  9. snap — to click
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. club — for dancing
  15. content — happy
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. club — a group

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