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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: rock · ball · cold · net · press · toast · band · fine

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cold — not warm
  3. band — a music group
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. press — to push
  7. net — for catching
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. net — in sport
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ball — a dance
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. rock — music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. net — after costs

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