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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: deal · press · pop · saw · race · content · board · arm

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. race — humankind
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. board — to get on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. content — the amount
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. press — newspapers
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. deal — to handle
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. press — to push
  16. pop — soda
  17. race — the arms race
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. content — happy
  24. deal — a big deal

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