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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
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: rash · march · row · press · safe · ball · land · chair

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. press — newspapers
  3. row — a line
  4. land — a country
  5. press — to push
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — the month
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. land — to come down
  13. chair — a leader
  14. land — ground
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a great time
  22. march — the month
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a dance

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