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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. board — to get on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tube — a container
  11. mine — for digging
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — to drill
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — to push
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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