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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. march — the month
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. press — newspapers
  4. race — a contest
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. capital — money
  8. branch — a division
  9. ground — crushed
  10. march — the month
  11. roll — a cake
  12. race — the arms race
  13. march — music
  14. race — humankind
  15. press — a publisher
  16. roll — a list
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. press — to push
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. branch — of a bank
  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