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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. court — for sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. court — of a king
  6. press — to push
  7. court — of law
  8. swing — music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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