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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 120 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — newspapers
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — to push
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. land — ground
  16. wake — a trail
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — to sit 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