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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: craft · squash · chip · pitch · press · fork

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. fork — in a road
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chip — to eat
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. press — to push
  18. fork — a garden tool

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