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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: press · ground · racket · deal · chip · bowl · board · rush

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. press — a publisher
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. press — to push
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — to get on
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — the earth
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. deal — to handle
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ground — crushed
  24. press — newspapers

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