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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. charge — electricity
  3. press — to push
  4. scale — in music
  5. charge — a price
  6. board — to get on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. field — for sport
  10. scale — size or range
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. firm — steady
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. firm — decided
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — a committee
  18. press — newspapers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. firm — a company
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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