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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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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: fork · staff · ruler · saw · cabinet · press · branch · content

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fork — in a road
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. press — a publisher
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. content — the amount
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. press — to push
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — happy
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. staff — employees
  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