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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: band · roll · race · mark · press · board · dip · stem

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. board — a committee
  3. mark — a trace
  4. roll — a list
  5. dip — to sink
  6. band — a music group
  7. race — a contest
  8. press — newspapers
  9. race — humankind
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. band — a ring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mark — a grade
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. board — to get on
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. press — to push

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