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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. club — a group
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — to push
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — a break
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — for golf
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — for dancing
  18. press — a publisher
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — a committee
  24. safe — out of danger

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