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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. press — a publisher
  3. scale — size or range
  4. board — to get on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. scale — in music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. board — a committee
  13. press — newspapers
  14. degree — from a university
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — an amount
  19. press — to push
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cell — a phone
  24. scale — for weighing

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