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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. present — there
  4. pit — a hole
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. press — to push
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — in a race
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. press — a publisher
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. present — the time now
  18. tube — the underground
  19. press — newspapers
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. present — a gift
  23. suit — clothes
  24. toast — bread

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