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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 116 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. press — to push
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. press — a publisher
  7. game — wild animals
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. club — a group
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. bound — obliged
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stem — to come from
  18. game — a match
  19. bound — certain
  20. press — newspapers
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. club — for golf
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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