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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: saw · cabinet · band · toast · press · land · pitch · can

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. land — to come down
  13. band — a ring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a music group
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. toast — the most admired

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