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

Word bank: ruler · press · pound · arm · field · club

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. 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. press — newspapers
  2. field — for sport
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. field — farmland
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — a group
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. field — a subject
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — a weight
  17. press — to push
  18. 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