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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bass · press · can · racket · pass · band · race

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. land — ground
  3. pass — a permit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — a publisher
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bass — the fish
  12. press — to push
  13. land — to come down
  14. race — humankind
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. can — to be able to
  18. band — a ring
  19. bass — low music
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — a country
  24. can — a tin

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