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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. deal — to handle
  2. march — music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. press — newspapers
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stem — to come from
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. press — to push
  17. degree — temperature
  18. toast — bread
  19. march — the month
  20. press — a publisher
  21. branch — a division
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  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