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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: pit · season · press · pop · wound · object · ball · board

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pop — music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ball — a great time
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pit — in a race
  11. season — of the year
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pop — soda
  14. press — to push
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. object — an aim
  19. ball — a dance
  20. press — newspapers
  21. board — a committee
  22. object — to protest
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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