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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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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 · roll · pound · perch · bay · saw · press · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — to push
  13. roll — a list
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. press — a publisher
  20. last — to go on
  21. roll — a cake
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. perch — the fish

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