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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: rush · key · press · pitcher · cell · stand · bowl · bore

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bore — to tire
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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