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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. net — in sport
  3. press — to push
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — after costs
  7. charge — in control
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. band — a ring
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. net — for catching
  19. charge — electricity
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rash — hasty
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rash — a series

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