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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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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: bank · content · root · sharp · rest · press · band · pitcher

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — the cause
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. root — of a word
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — to push
  12. bank — of a river
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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