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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a trace
  4. board — to get on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. tube — a container
  7. drill — the tool
  8. press — to push
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. press — a publisher
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a committee
  14. perch — the fish
  15. drill — army training
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — a practice
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — a division
  23. tube — the underground
  24. branch — of a tree

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