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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: bowl · press · object · date · bat · season · rash · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rash — a series
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. press — newspapers
  7. object — a thing
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — to push
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. date — the fruit
  13. object — an aim
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. season — in sport
  18. bat — the animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — a publisher
  24. season — of the year

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