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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: drill · mug · press · cell · pound · coach

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cell — in biology
  3. press — newspapers
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. press — to push
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — a phone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pound — for dogs

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