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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 120 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: bound · field · pass · press · arm · prune · club · march

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. field — for sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. club — a group
  5. bound — certain
  6. press — to push
  7. bound — obliged
  8. press — newspapers
  9. club — for dancing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. field — farmland
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bound — tied together
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — a subject
  22. club — for golf
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pass — a permit

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