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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. board — a committee
  8. press — newspapers
  9. row — a line
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — a thing
  17. press — to push
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. board — to get on
  22. row — to paddle
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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