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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: branch · fan · can · press · ground · mouse · prune · game

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — a position
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. can — to be able to
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — a division
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. branch — of a bank

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