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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. last — final
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. press — to push
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. last — finally
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. board — to get on
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hand — help
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. last — to go on
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fine — all right

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