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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.

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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 · fan · can · pitcher · mug · court · bore · ruler

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mug — a cup
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. press — to push
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. court — of law
  18. press — newspapers
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of a king
  24. can — a tin

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