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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: calf · bowl · band · press · toast · swing

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. swing — in golf
  7. band — a ring
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. press — a publisher
  13. swing — music
  14. press — to push
  15. toast — bread
  16. band — a music group
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. swing — to play on

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