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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: pound · press · field · fall · row · roll · craft · toast

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. press — to push
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. press — newspapers
  5. roll — a cake
  6. field — for sport
  7. row — a line
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. toast — bread
  13. roll — a list
  14. pound — a weight
  15. craft — boats
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. press — a publisher
  19. row — to paddle
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a skill
  24. toast — the most admired

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