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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. board — to get on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lean — thin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ground — a position
  14. board — a committee
  15. season — of the year
  16. ground — crushed
  17. press — newspapers
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — a dish

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