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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 116 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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pit — a hole
  3. club — for golf
  4. present — the time now
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chair — a leader
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. club — a group
  12. press — to push
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. present — there
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pit — in a race
  18. board — to get on

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