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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: can · cell · press · plane · march · date · pound · band

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. press — newspapers
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. plane — a tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — the month
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. date — the fruit
  10. band — a ring
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — a phone
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. march — music
  16. band — a music group
  17. cell — in biology
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. can — to be able to
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. press — to push

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