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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.

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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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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: trunk · club · mug · track · press · band · present · drill

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. present — there
  3. mug — a cup
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — a gift
  7. drill — army training
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. band — a ring
  11. drill — the tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. track — a song
  15. present — the time now
  16. press — a publisher
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — a group
  20. band — a music group
  21. press — to push
  22. track — a path
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mug — a face

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