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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: deal · press · mark · board · net · degree · hide · rash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. board — to get on
  4. press — newspapers
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. press — to push
  7. mark — a grade
  8. degree — from a university
  9. press — a publisher
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rash — hasty
  12. board — a committee
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mark — a trace
  18. degree — temperature
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. degree — an amount
  22. net — for catching
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. deal — an agreement

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