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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — to push
  3. stock — goods
  4. press — newspapers
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. march — the month
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stock — shares
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ground — a position
  17. march — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. band — a music group
  20. root — the cause
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — obliged
  24. press — a publisher

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