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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. craft — a skill
  5. press — to push
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. march — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — boats
  19. board — to get on
  20. march — the month
  21. snap — to click
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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