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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: press · bank · march · key · track · cap · date · ball

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. press — to push
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — newspapers
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a great time
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — a path
  11. key — in music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a dance
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. track — a song
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — for a lock
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — a publisher
  24. march — music

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