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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: track · prune · press · dip · band · pass · stick · coach

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — a song
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. press — newspapers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pass — a permit
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — to sink
  15. press — to push
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. band — a music group
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. prune — the fruit

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