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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 120 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: capital · press · branch · key · mouse · arm · suit · race

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. press — newspapers
  9. suit — to fit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. key — the most important part
  18. suit — in cards
  19. race — humankind
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. capital — a city

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