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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mate — a partner
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mate — to breed
  7. board — to get on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mate — a friend
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. present — the time now
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — newspapers
  17. content — the amount
  18. present — there
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. present — a gift
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. content — happy
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. press — to push

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