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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — newspapers
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — a hole
  10. press — to push
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. press — a publisher
  18. board — to get on
  19. stock — goods
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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