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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: drill · craft · toast · pass · band · cap · land · net

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. craft — a skill
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. band — a music group
  10. net — for catching
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pass — a permit
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cap — of ice
  20. drill — army training
  21. band — a ring
  22. craft — boats
  23. toast — bread
  24. pass — to spend time

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