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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: mark · bowl · press · deal · pound · dip · shower · roll

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. roll — a list
  4. pound — a weight
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. shower — rain
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. roll — a cake
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. shower — to wash
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. deal — to handle
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. dip — to sink

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