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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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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: stick · press · firm · land · hand · spell · club · board

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — newspapers
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. club — for dancing
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a committee
  17. land — a country
  18. spell — magic
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. press — to push
  22. hand — help
  23. firm — a company
  24. land — to come down

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