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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spring — of water
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. board — to get on
  6. pound — a weight
  7. board — a committee
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spring — a coil
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. press — a publisher
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. spring — the season
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bound — tied together
  23. press — to push
  24. coach — a trainer

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