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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: tube · nail · can · capital · branch · cabinet · file · press

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. can — to be able to
  5. capital — a city
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. capital — money
  9. tube — the underground
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. press — to push
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — a division
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a document
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a line of people
  23. press — a publisher
  24. file — a tool

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