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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. press — to push
  8. land — to come down
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. land — a country
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — a list
  14. court — of law
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — ground
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ruler — a monarch

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