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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — size or range
  4. press — to push
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — of the year
  10. bank — for money
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. scale — in music
  13. bank — of a river
  14. season — in sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. press — newspapers
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pound — a weight

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