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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 120 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: present · press · pit · drill · band · can · bowl · temple

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. drill — army training
  2. can — a tin
  3. band — a ring
  4. pit — in a race
  5. press — a publisher
  6. present — a gift
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. present — the time now
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — there
  20. band — a music group
  21. drill — a practice
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bowl — a football final
  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