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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. board — to get on
  10. tube — the underground
  11. press — a publisher
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pop — soda
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. capital — a city
  20. tube — a container
  21. pop — music
  22. press — to push
  23. present — a gift
  24. capital — money

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