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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · march · band · fine · rash · mug · foot · press

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. march — the month
  4. band — a ring
  5. march — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fine — all right
  9. press — to push
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rash — a series
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. band — a music group

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