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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fine — all right
  5. press — a publisher
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. swing — to play on
  10. capital — money
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. swing — in golf
  15. press — to push
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — music
  20. capital — a city
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fine — high quality

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