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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: fork · march · mark · trunk · object · cap · press · mug

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. press — newspapers
  5. object — an aim
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mark — a grade
  8. press — to push
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. march — music

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