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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. board — a committee
  3. rest — a break
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — there
  6. rest — what's left
  7. row — a line
  8. court — of a king
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — a hint
  11. press — to push
  12. court — of law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. board — to get on
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — for sport
  20. present — a gift
  21. cue — a signal
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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