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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spring — a coil
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fork — in a road
  10. present — the time now
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — of water
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mark — a trace
  16. present — a gift
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — to push
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spring — the season
  23. present — there
  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