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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 120 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: bowl · scale · lash · land · bay · field · press · prune

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — a country
  4. field — for sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. press — to push
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. field — farmland
  14. land — to come down
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — ground
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. scale — size or range
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — a subject
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bay — a horse colour

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