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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 120 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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. press — newspapers
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. race — the arms race
  6. can — to be able to
  7. land — a country
  8. band — a music group
  9. land — ground
  10. branch — a division
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. band — a ring
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. press — to push
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. land — to come down
  19. stock — goods
  20. press — a publisher
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — clever

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