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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mate — a partner
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — clothes
  7. press — to push
  8. wind — moving air
  9. press — newspapers
  10. suit — to fit
  11. band — a ring
  12. suit — in cards
  13. current — happening now
  14. mate — to breed
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — all right
  21. current — of water
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. band — a music group
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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