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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
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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: ground · chair · firm · wound · bowl · roll · rule · press

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — the earth
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rule — government
  11. chair — a leader
  12. roll — a cake
  13. firm — steady
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rule — a law
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wound — an injury
  20. roll — a list
  21. firm — decided
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bowl — to roll

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