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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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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: pit · spell · mug · band · press · club · bound · cabinet

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. club — for golf
  8. spell — letters
  9. bound — tied together
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pit — a hole
  13. spell — magic
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. club — a group
  16. pit — in a race
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. band — a ring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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