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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 · shower · row · ground · pound · press · roll · racket

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. roll — a list
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ground — a position
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pound — a weight
  13. roll — a cake
  14. dip — to sink
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — the earth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. row — a line
  24. shower — rain

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