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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. band — a music group
  5. foot — a measure
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. band — a ring
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — certain
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — to push
  24. bound — tied together

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