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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — help
  3. face — part of the head
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — in cards
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. game — wild animals
  11. face — to confront
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. mate — to breed
  15. degree — an amount
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. charge — electricity
  18. game — a match
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. face — to point toward
  21. press — a publisher
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. charge — in control

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