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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · court · board · tube · pound · press · wave · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. court — of law
  3. stem — to come from
  4. court — of a king
  5. press — to push
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. press — newspapers
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tube — the underground
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. court — for sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — a container
  19. board — a committee
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — to get on
  24. wave — with your hand

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