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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. band — a music group
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. swing — music
  7. cold — an illness
  8. press — newspapers
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — a break
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bank — of a river
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. band — a ring
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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