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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: club · clip · bowl · row · rock · ruler · object · press

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — a group
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. press — to push
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. club — for golf
  15. object — a thing
  16. row — to paddle
  17. press — a publisher
  18. object — an aim
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — to protest
  24. bowl — a dish

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