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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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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bound — obliged
  3. press — to push
  4. capital — money
  5. fine — high quality
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bound — certain
  13. suit — in cards
  14. degree — an amount
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — all right
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. degree — from a university
  19. suit — to fit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. degree — temperature
  24. press — a publisher

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