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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 116 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: wound · cue · pop · press · ground · pound · leaves · race

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pop — soda
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ground — crushed
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — a position
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — to push
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pound — to hit hard

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