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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. vault — a safe
  6. press — to push
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. capital — a city
  11. march — the month
  12. press — a publisher
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stand — to bear
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. capital — money
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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