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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — after costs
  7. cell — in biology
  8. net — in sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pit — a hole
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. band — a music group
  21. pop — music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. net — for catching
  24. band — a ring

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