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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. board — to get on
  5. pop — soda
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. land — a country
  9. board — a committee
  10. press — to push
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — to bear
  20. land — to come down
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. press — newspapers
  23. swing — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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