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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: ball · race · present · fan · press · board · game · trunk

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — a committee
  4. ball — a dance
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — a gift
  7. press — a publisher
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. race — a contest
  11. ball — a great time
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. press — to push
  17. race — humankind
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — a match
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. press — newspapers
  24. game — wild animals

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