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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bore — to drill
  5. branch — a division
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. suit — in cards
  10. club — a group
  11. suit — to fit
  12. file — a document
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. club — for golf
  17. ground — the earth
  18. band — a music group
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. press — to push
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ground — a position

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