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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: press · bank · race · plane · pound · can

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. press — to push
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. press — a publisher
  13. plane — a tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. bank — for money

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