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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — to get on
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. key — for a lock
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. press — newspapers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tube — a container
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. key — the most important part
  17. board — a committee
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. key — in music
  24. board — a flat piece

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