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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mug — to rob
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. season — of the year
  6. mug — a cup
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. squash — the sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mug — a face
  19. season — in sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. suit — to fit
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. suit — in cards
  24. squash — to crush

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