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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — a safe
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. capital — a city
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. press — to push
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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