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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — happening now
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. press — to push
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — of water
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — to get on
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. content — the amount
  21. game — wild animals
  22. content — happy
  23. game — a match
  24. hide — animal skin

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