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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 · land · board · craft · race · fine · toast · mate

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. press — a publisher
  3. race — humankind
  4. mate — to breed
  5. craft — boats
  6. race — a contest
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — a skill
  9. land — to come down
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. land — a country
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mate — a friend
  14. board — to get on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fine — all right
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. race — the arms race
  22. land — ground
  23. mate — a partner
  24. press — to push

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