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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pit · pound · coach · press · season · current · bowl

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. press — to push
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. current — electric
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pit — in a race
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. current — of water
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. season — of the year
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pound — a weight

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