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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. object — to protest
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. field — farmland
  7. chip — to eat
  8. field — a subject
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. field — for sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fall — the season
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — newspapers
  23. object — an aim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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