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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
468
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: chip · calf · squash · bass · stand · press · nail · court

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — for sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. court — of law
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. bass — the fish
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bass — low 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