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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — a contest
  3. club — for dancing
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — to get on
  11. club — a group
  12. charge — in control
  13. board — a committee
  14. press — to push
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — to come from
  22. charge — a price
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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