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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. press — newspapers
  3. file — a document
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stock — goods
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stock — shares
  8. file — a line of people
  9. toast — bread
  10. file — a tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. press — to push
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spring — a coil
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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