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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: kick · deal · bowl · rash · game · squash · press · current

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. press — a publisher
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — newspapers
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. kick — in football
  11. current — of water
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rash — a series
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. current — electric
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. current — happening now
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — hasty
  24. game — a match

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