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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: mark · suit · branch · roll · bear · degree · press · march

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a trace
  5. degree — from a university
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. press — to push
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. march — music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mark — a grade
  13. branch — a division
  14. march — the month
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. degree — temperature
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. press — newspapers
  20. suit — in cards
  21. degree — an amount
  22. roll — a list
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — clothes

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