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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: board · kid · press · deal · game · racket · stem · wave

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kid — child
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. stem — to come from
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. game — wild animals
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kid — to tease
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. press — to push
  23. game — a match
  24. wave — of the sea

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