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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: bowl · land · race · press · foot · suit · present · dip

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. present — the time now
  3. suit — clothes
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. suit — to fit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. present — a gift
  10. race — a contest
  11. suit — in cards
  12. present — there
  13. press — a publisher
  14. dip — to sink
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — to push
  17. race — the arms race
  18. land — to come down
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. race — humankind
  24. press — newspapers

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