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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. present — the time now
  5. chest — of your body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — to get on
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. plane — a tool
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — a committee
  20. present — there
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chest — a box
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. present — a gift

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