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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. club — a group
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — newspapers
  7. current — electric
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a ring
  10. press — a publisher
  11. root — of a plant
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. root — the cause
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. root — of a word
  18. current — of water
  19. club — for dancing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — to push
  22. season — in sport
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — a short time

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