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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: bear · vault · press · capital · track · stick · prune · trunk

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bear — the animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. track — a song
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. press — to push
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. capital — a city
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. capital — money

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