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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — a break
  5. toast — bread
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ball — a dance
  10. land — ground
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. drill — army training
  18. season — in sport
  19. drill — a practice
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. season — of the year
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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