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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — of the year
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rash — a series
  8. board — a committee
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. drill — a practice
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. court — for sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — in sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — to eat
  20. board — to get on
  21. rash — hasty
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — army training
  24. court — of law

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