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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. stock — goods
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. board — a committee
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — to push
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kid — child
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — shares
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. snap — to click
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stock — a soup base

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