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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. press — a publisher
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. rest — a break
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — of the year
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — newspapers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. press — to push
  24. season — to add flavour

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