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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: pop · scale · leaves · arm · foot · club · press · bore

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. club — a group
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. scale — in music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. foot — a measure
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bore — to drill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pop — soda
  24. club — for golf

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