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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. press — a publisher
  6. last — to go on
  7. staff — employees
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — final
  10. staff — a stick
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. last — finally
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chip — to eat
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — a committee
  17. track — a song
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a path
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. press — to push
  24. staff — employees

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