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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · press · mate · trunk · bulb · ball · pop · cue

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — a committee
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pop — soda
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cue — a signal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cue — for pool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — to get on
  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