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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: deal · last · field · dip · pop · fan · press · pound

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. last — finally
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pop — to visit
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. last — final
  12. field — a subject
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — music
  15. press — to push
  16. dip — to sink
  17. field — for sport
  18. press — a publisher
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. field — farmland
  22. pop — soda
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pound — a weight

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