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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. firm — decided
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. press — to push
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. last — to go on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. season — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. last — final
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. press — a publisher
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. firm — steady
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — of the year
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. firm — a company
  23. board — to get on
  24. press — newspapers

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