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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · ground · bowl · press · trunk · drill · pit · rock

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. drill — a practice
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — the tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. net — for catching
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. press — to push
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. drill — army training
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ground — a position
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rock — music
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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