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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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Word bank
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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: press · cue · board · kid · hide · pit · dip · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — to get on
  3. cue — a signal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pit — a hole
  6. board — a committee
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — in a race
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kid — child
  16. press — to push
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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