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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pass — a permit
  4. march — the month
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. march — music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cold — an illness
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. press — a publisher
  14. object — an aim
  15. board — to get on
  16. object — to protest
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cold — not warm
  20. board — a committee
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. march — the month
  24. jam — in traffic

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