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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. press — a publisher
  3. charge — electricity
  4. court — of a king
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — to bear
  11. charge — in control
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. press — to push
  15. band — a ring
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a music group
  19. charge — a price
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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