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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. field — a subject
  5. rule — government
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — the time now
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. present — a gift
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. drill — army training
  21. press — a publisher
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. fine — high quality

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