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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. press — newspapers
  4. roll — a cake
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. roll — a list
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. plane — a tool
  12. capital — a city
  13. pop — soda
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cell — in biology
  17. press — to push
  18. hand — help
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. capital — money
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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