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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. band — a ring
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. race — a contest
  7. land — a country
  8. press — to push
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. land — ground
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. press — newspapers
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — humankind
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bark — to shout
  20. race — the arms race
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — to come down
  24. key — in music

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