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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: nail · net · rock · ruler · march · pitcher · hand · press

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. press — a publisher
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. march — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. hand — help
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. rock — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. net — for catching
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. press — to push

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