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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bank — for money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a path
  5. press — to push
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. last — to go on
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. track — a song
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. land — a country
  18. bank — of a river
  19. last — final
  20. track — to keep track
  21. last — finally
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — to confront
  24. ruler — for measuring

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