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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tube — a container
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — a subject
  9. firm — steady
  10. present — there
  11. press — to push
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — for sport
  14. firm — a company
  15. bank — of a river
  16. branch — a division
  17. present — the time now
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. field — farmland
  21. firm — decided
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. present — a gift

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