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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. board — a committee
  12. spring — a coil
  13. press — a publisher
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — in cards
  16. content — happy
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. press — newspapers
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. roll — a list
  22. press — to push
  23. content — the amount
  24. hand — help

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