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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. race — a contest
  4. rash — a series
  5. file — a line of people
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fine — high quality
  11. race — humankind
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rash — hasty
  14. race — the arms race
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fine — all right
  17. branch — a division
  18. pop — soda
  19. press — to push
  20. file — a document
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pop — to visit

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