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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of law
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. court — for sport
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. board — a committee
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — newspapers
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. press — a publisher

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