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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: net · press · rock · hand · chip · ball · bore · stand

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rock — a stone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hand — help
  8. press — to push
  9. rock — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — to drill
  13. net — in sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. press — newspapers
  21. net — for catching
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chip — in a computer

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