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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 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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. date — the fruit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a ring
  13. rule — a law
  14. press — to push
  15. object — an aim
  16. rule — government
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. object — to protest

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