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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spring — the season
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mark — a trace
  8. branch — a division
  9. land — ground
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. press — to push
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — of water
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bank — for money

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