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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. land — a country
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — ground
  10. club — for dancing
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. club — a group
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. board — to get on
  17. club — for golf
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — the season
  20. track — a song
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. land — to come down
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. press — a publisher

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