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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. board — to get on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — tied together
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. press — to push
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. press — newspapers
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — music
  24. present — there

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