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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mine — for digging
  4. board — to get on
  5. kick — in football
  6. board — a committee
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. press — newspapers
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. toast — bread
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — to push
  24. kick — a thrill

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