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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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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: press · fine · roll · ruler · toast · craft

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fine — all right
  7. craft — boats
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — a skill
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. toast — bread
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. roll — on a roll

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