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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: press · clip · board · deal · ruler · racket · pitcher · bulb

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. clip — a video
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — to get on
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — to push
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — newspapers
  20. board — a committee
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  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