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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: present · dip · band · cabinet · trunk · chair · season · pop

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. band — a ring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — the time now
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to sink
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. season — to add flavour

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