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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 · firm · toast · can · mug · cap · bat · press

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. firm — decided
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. band — a ring
  7. mug — to rob
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — to push
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — a publisher
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — of ice
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. press — newspapers
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bat — the animal

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