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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mine — for digging
  3. net — in sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. press — to push
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. file — a line of people
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — a grade
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — after costs
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mark — a trace
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mine — belonging to me

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