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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: land · ground · march · press · band · cabinet · nail · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ground — crushed
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cell — a phone
  8. march — music
  9. land — ground
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. press — to push
  14. land — a country
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — to come down
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a ring
  20. march — the month
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ground — a position
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — on a finger

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