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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: can · pound · band · spring · fork · foot · press · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. band — a ring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. band — a music group
  9. press — to push
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spring — of water
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. spring — the season
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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