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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. press — a publisher
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. press — newspapers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. board — to get on
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. chip — for betting
  24. season — to add flavour

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