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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: chip · fork · press · date · net · mark · pound · racket

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chip — for betting
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — to push
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. net — for catching
  23. pound — a weight
  24. racket — a loud noise

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