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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: bass · pound · bore · temple · kick · pop · capital · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. capital — money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. capital — a city
  6. pop — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kick — in football
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pop — soda
  14. pound — a weight
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. temple — side of the head

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