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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: swing · bowl · squash · chip · press · pitch

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitch — completely
  8. swing — music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — to play on
  18. press — a publisher

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