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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: dip · fall · band · press · content · drill · racket · bowl

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a ring
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. press — to push
  5. band — a music group
  6. fall — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. drill — army training
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — the amount
  17. press — newspapers
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. drill — a practice
  20. content — happy
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. dip — to sink
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fall — to drop

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