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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: game · roll · season · squash · rock · press · dip · coach

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. dip — to sink
  3. game — wild animals
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rock — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rock — a stone
  8. roll — a cake
  9. season — of the year
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. squash — to crush
  16. game — a match
  17. season — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. game — a kind of play

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