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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. board — to get on
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. board — a committee
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — an illness
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cap — of ice
  23. press — to push
  24. cap — a hat

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