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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. press — newspapers
  3. scale — in music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — size or range
  6. press — to push
  7. present — there
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. rock — a stone

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