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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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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: ruler · band · bowl · suit · press · cap · date · pitch

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cap — a hat
  17. press — newspapers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. band — a music group

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