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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pit — in a race
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mark — a trace
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. squash — to crush
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. board — a committee
  15. press — newspapers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — the sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — a grade
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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