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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chair — a leader
  10. press — newspapers
  11. craft — boats
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. press — to push
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bowl — a dish

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