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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — newspapers
  3. staff — employees
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. toast — bread
  9. land — to come down
  10. spell — a short time
  11. staff — a stick
  12. band — a ring
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. land — a country
  15. mine — for digging
  16. land — ground
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. band — a music group
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — to push
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. spell — letters
  24. ball — a great 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