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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: press · fine · straw · mine · pound · land · calf · bowl

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. press — newspapers
  3. land — a country
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — to come down
  7. press — to push
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — ground
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fine — all right
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bowl — to roll

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