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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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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: chest · board · fine · cell · bound · press · stand · fork

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fork — in a road
  3. press — to push
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cell — in biology
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — a committee
  15. bound — tied together
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chest — a box
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fine — all right
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cell — a phone
  24. board — a flat piece

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