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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. row — to paddle
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — in a race
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. press — newspapers
  11. squash — the sport
  12. press — to push
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. board — a committee
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — of water
  22. press — a publisher
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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