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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. band — a music group
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. press — to push
  11. board — to get on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. date — the fruit
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. race — humankind

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