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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — to push
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. toast — bread
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. press — a publisher
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pop — soda
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pop — music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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