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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: plane · pitcher · pound · row · can · roll · press · racket

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. roll — a cake
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — a line
  9. press — newspapers
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. press — a publisher
  12. row — to paddle
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. roll — a list
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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