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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: bear · ground · current · bowl · mark · rush · press · deal

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. current — of water
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — a publisher
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — to hurry
  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