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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: band · present · mine · press · march · craft

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. present — there
  3. march — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. march — the month
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mine — for digging
  8. band — a ring
  9. craft — boats
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. march — the month
  12. present — the time now
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. craft — a skill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. band — a music group
  17. press — to push
  18. present — a gift

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