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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: coach · press · board · cell · kick · dip · pit · mouse

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cell — a phone
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — to get on
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. kick — in football
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pit — a hole
  23. press — to push
  24. mouse — for a computer

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