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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: club · mug · bank · rule · stem · bound · press · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mug — a cup
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rule — a law
  11. bound — certain
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. club — for dancing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. club — for golf
  16. press — to push
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mug — a face
  19. club — a group
  20. bank — for money
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — obliged

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