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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: present · press · rock · sharp · bowl · mouse · spell · pop

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. press — to push
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — a gift
  10. rock — a stone
  11. press — a publisher
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — soda
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. spell — magic
  20. pop — to visit
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pop — music
  23. spell — letters
  24. bowl — a football final

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