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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cap — a lid
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — finally
  7. key — the most important part
  8. press — to push
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. last — final
  11. branch — a division
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cue — a hint
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. key — for a lock
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cue — a signal
  24. last — to go on

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