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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — in music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. press — a publisher
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — to come down
  9. board — a committee
  10. band — a ring
  11. press — to push
  12. board — to get on
  13. pop — soda
  14. land — a country
  15. date — the fruit
  16. land — ground
  17. band — a music group
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. press — newspapers
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pop — music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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