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

Word bank: bore · row · press · club · toast · pit

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — to push
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. press — a publisher
  11. toast — bread
  12. club — for golf
  13. bore — to tire
  14. row — to paddle
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pit — in a race
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. club — a group

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