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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ground — a position
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. suit — to fit
  22. board — to get on
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. board — a flat piece

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