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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 116 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: ball · row · net · lash · safe · bowl · press · fork

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ball — a great time
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. net — in sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. net — for catching
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. net — after costs
  15. ball — a dance
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bowl — a football final

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