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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · current · band · press · arm · mine · content · bank

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. press — newspapers
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. content — the amount
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. press — a publisher
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. current — of water
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bank — for money
  19. content — happy
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. degree — from a university
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. degree — an amount

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