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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · march · ground · pound · cell · bark · press · fan

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. press — to push
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — soda
  9. march — music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. march — the month
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — to shout

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