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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. board — a committee
  9. pop — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — shares
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — to get on
  22. press — to push
  23. stock — goods
  24. clip — to cut

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