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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: bowl · press · hand · date · can · rush · row · mark

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. row — to paddle
  3. press — a publisher
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hand — help
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. press — to push
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — in cards
  19. row — a line
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a trace
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hand — part of the body

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