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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 120 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: row · shower · pitcher · bass · staff · mark · press · can

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a grade
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bass — low music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — to wash
  10. staff — employees
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. press — newspapers
  16. shower — rain
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mark — a trace
  19. press — to push
  20. staff — a stick
  21. can — a tin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — a quarrel

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