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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. race — the arms race
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — of law
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — a contest
  17. bank — of a river
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — of a king
  20. rock — a stone
  21. race — humankind
  22. court — for sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ruler — for measuring

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