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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. current — happening now
  7. season — in sport
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — to get on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cap — a hat
  19. season — of the year
  20. current — electric
  21. press — newspapers
  22. current — of water
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stem — to come from

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