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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — government
  8. squash — to crush
  9. degree — temperature
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bound — certain
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. press — to push
  16. degree — from a university
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — the sport
  20. press — a publisher
  21. branch — a division
  22. game — a match
  23. rule — a law
  24. degree — an amount

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