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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rest — what's left
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — a committee
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chest — a box
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rest — a break
  24. board — to get on

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