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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a ring
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. current — of water
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — to push
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fine — all right
  12. current — electric
  13. fine — high quality
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. current — happening now
  17. press — newspapers
  18. band — a music group

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