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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — to get on
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. track — to keep track
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. track — a song
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. prune — to trim
  17. press — newspapers
  18. charge — in control
  19. track — a path
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. board — a flat piece

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