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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: pit · calf · band · stick · press · bass · jam · board

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. board — a committee
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. band — a ring
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. board — to get on
  11. band — a music group
  12. press — to push
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bass — the fish
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — in a race
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — of the leg

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