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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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 fruit stone
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. drill — army training
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — to push
  17. club — a group
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — of the year
  22. press — a publisher
  23. club — for golf
  24. drill — a practice

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