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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: board · present · stem · shower · roll · chair · press · club

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. club — for golf
  4. present — the time now
  5. press — newspapers
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stem — to come from
  8. shower — rain
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. press — to push
  11. present — a gift
  12. board — a committee
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. board — to get on
  16. club — a group
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. press — a publisher
  19. roll — a list
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. roll — a cake
  24. present — there

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