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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. board — to get on
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cold — an illness
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rock — a stone
  12. press — to push
  13. board — a committee
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rock — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mug — a face
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mug — a cup

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