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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. net — after costs
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. net — for catching
  7. press — a publisher
  8. board — a committee
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. march — the month
  12. press — newspapers
  13. march — the month
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. march — music
  18. press — to push

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