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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — to get on
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. object — an aim
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — a publisher
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ball — a dance
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. press — to push
  18. object — a thing
  19. wake — a trail
  20. object — to protest
  21. fork — in a road
  22. date — the fruit
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ball — a great time

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