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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: press · mine · bowl · row · pound · can · hand · club

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. club — a group
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. can — to be able to
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. club — for golf
  22. pound — a weight
  23. can — a tin
  24. club — for dancing

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