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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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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: file · mark · safe · mouse · chair · press · march · band

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. band — a ring
  11. chair — a leader
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. band — a music group
  17. file — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. march — the month
  22. file — a document
  23. mark — a grade
  24. press — a publisher

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