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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. board — a committee
  3. net — in sport
  4. press — to push
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. net — for catching
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — after costs
  11. mate — a partner
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mate — a friend
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. board — to get on
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cell — a phone

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