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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: rock · press · object · pop · foot · craft · pound · rash

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. object — to protest
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. object — a thing
  7. press — to push
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — a series
  10. object — an aim
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. craft — boats
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rock — a stone
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. craft — a skill
  24. foot — part of the body

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