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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. press — to push
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a ring
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. key — the most important part
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. charge — a price
  13. key — for a lock
  14. band — a music group
  15. branch — a division
  16. perch — the fish
  17. charge — in control
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bore — to drill
  20. press — a publisher
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. key — in music
  24. perch — for a bird

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