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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: bay · bank · band · rule · craft · press · season · present

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. press — to push
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. band — a music group
  5. press — a publisher
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — there
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. press — newspapers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. season — in sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. rule — government
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bank — of a river
  23. season — of the year
  24. rule — a law

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