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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. press — newspapers
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cold — not warm
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. board — to get on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chip — for betting
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cold — an illness
  23. chip — to eat
  24. press — to push

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