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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. march — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. board — to get on
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. board — a committee
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. key — in music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. press — newspapers
  24. jam — in traffic

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