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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. capital — a city
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — in a race
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — a hole
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. press — newspapers

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