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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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. track — a song
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — to push
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lean — thin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. lean — to bend
  12. court — of law
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. present — there
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. court — of a king
  24. plane — in geometry

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