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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. band — a music group
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — to push
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — a publisher
  24. safe — out of danger

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