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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. object — a thing
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — a publisher
  6. spring — of water
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spring — the season
  10. stock — shares
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a committee
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. object — an aim
  22. press — to push
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — to protest

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