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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. press — a publisher
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mine — for digging
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. band — a music group
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — finally
  24. band — a ring

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