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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. land — a country
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rash — hasty
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — ground
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — a series
  15. board — to get on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. land — to come down
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. press — to push
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — newspapers

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