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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: pop · bank · press · club · plane · bore · arm · pound

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. club — for golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bore — to drill
  7. club — a group
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — to visit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pop — soda
  19. press — newspapers
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. press — to push

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