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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: march · cabinet · pass · deal · craft · content · press · branch

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — boats
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. press — newspapers
  14. march — the month
  15. pass — a permit
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. press — a publisher
  20. march — the month
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. march — music
  24. deal — a big deal

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