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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. present — a gift
  3. bound — obliged
  4. press — newspapers
  5. present — there
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — to push
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — certain
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — for betting
  24. board — a committee

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