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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cue — a hint
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a path
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bass — the fish
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cue — for pool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — low music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. track — to keep track
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a music group
  24. date — the fruit

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