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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. band — a music group
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. press — newspapers
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — to push
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rule — government
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rule — a law

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