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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: tube · branch · can · press · degree · pass · last · capital

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — a tin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — final
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — to go on
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pass — a permit
  18. capital — money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. degree — temperature
  21. last — finally
  22. branch — of a tree
  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