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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — for light
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. net — in sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. net — after costs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — for catching
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. press — to push
  18. board — to get on
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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