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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: wake · march · rest · rush · press · chip · pitcher · ball

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rest — a break
  4. press — a publisher
  5. march — the month
  6. press — to push
  7. march — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ball — a great time
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — hurry

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