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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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Word bank
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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: deal · club · press · row · ruler · sharp

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. row — to paddle
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — to push
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. press — newspapers
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — a line
  15. sharp — clever
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — a group
  18. ruler — for measuring

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