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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · root · fan · pound · net · safe · rock · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. root — of a word
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — in sport
  9. press — to push
  10. row — to paddle
  11. press — a publisher
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — the cause
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — after costs
  16. rock — music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a plant
  20. press — newspapers
  21. net — for catching
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rock — to move gently

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