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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. press — to push
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — low music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rock — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. board — a committee
  12. rock — a stone
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — to get on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mark — a grade

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