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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hand — in cards
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — help
  5. clip — to cut
  6. net — after costs
  7. fine — all right
  8. clip — for paper
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. press — to push
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. press — a publisher
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — a video
  24. net — for catching

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