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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. press — a publisher
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — to push
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ball — a dance
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. club — for dancing
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pit — in a race
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bank — for money

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