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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. game — a match
  3. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. band — a music group
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. board — a committee
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — the most important part
  19. game — wild animals
  20. key — for a lock
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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