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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: press · band · pound · staff · suit · rock · stem · file

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. file — a tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. band — a ring
  8. rock — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — a publisher
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. press — to push
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rock — a stone
  15. file — a document
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. staff — employees
  19. band — a music group
  20. press — newspapers
  21. suit — clothes
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. file — a line of people

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