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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. board — a committee
  3. net — after costs
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cold — an illness
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — a signal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. object — to protest
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. object — a thing
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. object — an aim
  21. press — to push
  22. cold — not warm
  23. board — to get on
  24. press — newspapers

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