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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — to keep track
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. press — newspapers
  10. squash — to crush
  11. press — to push
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. band — a ring
  14. season — in sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. band — a music group
  18. season — of the year

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