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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · capital · bank · mark · deal · press

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — newspapers
  7. capital — a city
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. file — a line of people
  11. capital — money
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bank — for money
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bank — of a river

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