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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 116 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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. face — part of the head
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ground — a position
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bear — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. march — music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. press — a publisher
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. board — a committee
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — to get on

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