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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — farmland
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — a publisher
  13. field — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — a subject
  21. press — to push
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — to cool the air

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