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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: present · press · pass · degree · mine · mark · vault · branch

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mine — for digging
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. present — there
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. vault — a safe
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. present — a gift
  13. mark — a grade
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. press — to push
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — a division

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