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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — help
  3. current — happening now
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. press — to push
  7. hand — in cards
  8. current — electric
  9. content — happy
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. drill — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. vault — a safe
  15. content — the amount
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. press — newspapers
  21. current — of water
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. drill — a practice

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