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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — to protest
  3. club — a group
  4. board — to get on
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bat — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — to push
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. march — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — a trace
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — the month
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. object — an aim

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