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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: can · march · branch · bore · chip · drill · capital · press

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. press — a publisher
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — a division
  12. press — newspapers
  13. drill — the tool
  14. press — to push
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bore — to drill
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chip — for betting
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. bore — to tire

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