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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · bowl · cue · board · row · press

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cue — a signal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. board — to get on
  5. cue — a hint
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tear — to rip
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cue — for pool
  10. board — a committee
  11. press — to push
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. press — a publisher
  17. tear — from crying
  18. row — a line

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