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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. press — a publisher
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. club — for dancing
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. court — for sport
  15. spring — a coil
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — in sport
  20. current — electric
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. spring — the season
  24. current — of water

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