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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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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: press · drill · club · wake · arm · wound · capital · firm

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. club — for golf
  5. wound — an injury
  6. club — a group
  7. press — to push
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. club — for dancing
  13. firm — steady
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. capital — a city
  17. drill — army training
  18. wake — a trail
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. capital — money

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