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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: press · arm · key · board · bowl · fine · row · saw

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. key — for a lock
  5. board — to get on
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — the most important part
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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