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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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468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. press — newspapers
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cell — in biology
  6. board — to get on
  7. press — to push
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. press — a publisher
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stock — shares
  16. chair — a leader
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cell — a phone

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