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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. board — to get on
  3. face — to confront
  4. scale — in music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kid — to tease
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. press — to push
  16. board — a committee
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. board — a flat piece

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