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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mug — a face
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a cup
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mug — to rob
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. charge — a price
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — to get on
  22. press — a publisher
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spring — the season

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