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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.

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: band · pitcher · field · stick · press · mug · arm · stand

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. band — a music group
  5. stand — to bear
  6. field — for sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. press — to push
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. field — a subject
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mug — to rob
  23. press — a publisher
  24. arm — part of the body

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