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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — letters
  10. mug — a face
  11. ground — the earth
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mug — to rob
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. spell — magic
  19. ground — a position
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — a committee
  24. press — to push

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