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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: board · press · temple · chip · firm · bark · pitch · field

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. field — farmland
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. firm — steady
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. press — to push
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — completely
  13. firm — a company
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. field — for sport
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. field — a subject
  23. bark — to shout
  24. firm — decided

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