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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rock — a stone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rock — music
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — a phone
  14. branch — a division
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. board — to get on
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. press — to push
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cell — in biology
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rest — a break

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