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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 116 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: band · press · pop · wax · board · mark · game · bank

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a trace
  4. press — a publisher
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pop — soda
  10. board — a committee
  11. band — a music group
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wax — to grow
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — to get on
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pop — music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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