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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · spell · bear · press · board · pitcher

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — to push
  7. board — to get on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spell — letters
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spell — magic

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