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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · racket · bear · pound · board · press

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chest — a box
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chest — of your body
  7. press — to push
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bear — the animal

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