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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
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: cap · band · bat · game · last · charge · press · bay

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. cap — a lid
  4. last — to go on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — wild animals
  7. press — to push
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. charge — electricity
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. last — final
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cap — of ice
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bat — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. press — newspapers
  22. game — a match
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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