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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: foot · squash · mark · bowl · chip · press · ground · date

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. foot — a measure
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — to push
  8. chip — for betting
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. squash — the sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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