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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: stick · cell · ball · band · clip · press

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a great time
  10. band — a ring
  11. clip — to cut
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. press — to push
  15. band — a music group
  16. ball — a dance
  17. clip — a video
  18. band — a rubber band

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