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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.

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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: shower · march · racket · row · foot · press · present · firm

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — to wash
  3. row — a line
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. march — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — rain
  13. present — there
  14. firm — a company
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — steady
  17. present — the time now
  18. march — the month
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. press — a publisher
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. firm — decided

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