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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — a friend
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — to get on
  7. track — a song
  8. mate — to breed
  9. press — a publisher
  10. land — to come down
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. land — a country
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — to keep track
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a path
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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