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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 · firm · rash · board · net · squash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — decided
  5. board — a committee
  6. rash — hasty
  7. net — after costs
  8. firm — a company
  9. rash — a series
  10. press — newspapers
  11. firm — steady
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. squash — to crush
  18. board — to get on

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