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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: bound · press · spell · plane · club · march · track · toast

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. club — for dancing
  3. press — a publisher
  4. club — a group
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — to keep track
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spell — letters
  14. bound — certain
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spell — a short time
  17. track — a path
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. spell — magic
  20. toast — bread
  21. club — for golf
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. track — a song

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