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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. board — a committee
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rest — a break
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — newspapers
  7. firm — a company
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — to get on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. press — to push
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — steady
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — a publisher

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