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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. press — to push
  3. rash — hasty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. can — a tin
  15. pound — a weight
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rash — a series

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