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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: pound · pass · racket · spell · club · bank · trunk · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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. spell — a short time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — a permit
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. press — to push
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spell — letters
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bank — of a river
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. club — for golf
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. racket — for tennis

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