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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — music
  5. mark — a grade
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — the earth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — a position
  17. branch — a division
  18. press — to push

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