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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. march — music
  8. row — a line
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. band — a ring
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. band — a music group
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. press — to push
  19. mine — for digging
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pit — in a race
  24. march — the month

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