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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · band · bass · press · temple · pitcher · pitch · prune

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. band — a music group
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a hat
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pitch — completely
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a ring
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cap — of ice
  24. press — newspapers

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