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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: toast · fork · press · cabinet · can · pit · ground · branch

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. branch — a division
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ground — a position
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pit — a hole
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — to push
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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