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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 120 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: tube · board · press · saw · row · pitcher · deal · chest

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — to get on
  8. chest — a box
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — to push
  12. deal — to handle
  13. board — a committee
  14. chest — of your body
  15. tube — a container
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. press — a publisher
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. row — a line

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