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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. press — newspapers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a music group
  8. march — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a ring
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — to push
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. track — a path
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. drill — the tool

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