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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: deal · press · band · pass · ground · prune · kick · cap

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. prune — to trim
  6. press — to push
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ground — a position
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. press — newspapers
  21. kick — in football
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. deal — an agreement

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