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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. board — a committee
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. vault — a safe
  8. board — to get on
  9. press — to push
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. bass — low music
  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