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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. press — newspapers
  3. court — for sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. court — of law
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. board — a committee
  9. mark — a trace
  10. board — to get on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. press — to push
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. game — a match
  24. dip — to sink

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