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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: deal · roll · press · board · scale · ground · rash · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rash — hasty
  8. board — to get on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. roll — a list
  12. ground — a position
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. roll — a cake
  17. press — a publisher
  18. land — a country
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rash — a series
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. scale — in music

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