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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. board — a committee
  5. lie — to recline
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fork — in a road
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. season — of the year
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — to get on
  18. season — in sport

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