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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. press — newspapers
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kick — in football
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bound — tied together
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. press — to push
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. board — a committee
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — to get on
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. press — a publisher

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