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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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. press — newspapers
  4. mark — a trace
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. branch — a division
  7. press — to push
  8. craft — a skill
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mark — a grade
  19. degree — temperature
  20. craft — boats
  21. tear — from crying
  22. degree — from a university
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. degree — an amount

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