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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: bound · stick · bowl · pitch · chip · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bound — tied together
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bound — certain
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bound — obliged
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pitch — a sports field

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