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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. root — of a word
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. capital — a city
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — money
  15. root — the cause
  16. branch — a division
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stock — goods
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. stock — shares
  24. root — of a plant

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