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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chip — for betting
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. band — a music group
  7. press — newspapers
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. band — a ring
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — to eat
  15. present — there
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bass — low music
  23. charge — in control
  24. press — to push

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