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

Word bank: mug · cabinet · field · rest · mark · press · branch · capital

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — farmland
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mug — to rob
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. field — for sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. capital — money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. field — a subject
  20. capital — a city
  21. rest — a break
  22. branch — a division
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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