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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. board — a committee
  3. march — the month
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bass — low music
  8. press — to push
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. content — happy
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. march — music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. board — to get on
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — the month

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