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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. band — a music group
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a ring
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rash — a series
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — hasty
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — to push
  19. capital — money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend 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