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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. land — a country
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — newspapers
  9. band — a ring
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. land — to come down
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spring — the season
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ground — a position
  18. rock — music
  19. spring — of water
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spring — a coil
  22. land — ground
  23. rash — a series
  24. press — to push

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