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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: ball · press · stem · board · squash · band · bore · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. 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. net — in sport
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — for catching
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a committee
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ball — a great time
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — to drill
  23. net — after costs
  24. 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