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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: bank · ground · can · roll · press · bowl · court · stick

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — for money
  4. roll — a list
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. court — of law
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. can — to be able to
  11. press — a publisher
  12. court — for sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — the earth
  15. court — of a king
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — a cake
  21. ground — a position
  22. can — a tin
  23. press — to push
  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