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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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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — rain
  6. board — a committee
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pound — a weight
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bank — of a river
  15. board — to get on
  16. shower — to wash
  17. snap — to click
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. press — a publisher
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pop — soda
  22. press — to push
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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