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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fine — all right
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. court — of law
  15. press — to push
  16. fine — high quality
  17. court — of a king
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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