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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: bulb · roll · pop · press · bank · board · cap · mug

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cap — of ice
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — a list
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cap — a hat
  14. press — to push
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mug — a face
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — a cup
  22. press — newspapers
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bank — for money

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