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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: sharp · board · press · march · squash · cue · current · mark

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — to crush
  7. current — of water
  8. board — to get on
  9. current — happening now
  10. march — the month
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mark — a trace
  14. press — to push
  15. current — electric
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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