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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 116 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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. hand — help
  4. press — a publisher
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a committee
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cue — a hint
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — a signal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. press — to push
  15. bass — the fish
  16. press — newspapers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bass — low music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — to get on

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