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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. press — newspapers
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. press — a publisher
  8. game — wild animals
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a committee
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. date — the fruit
  20. board — to get on
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a flat piece

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