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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · ball · present · press · drill · stem · tube

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. press — to push
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chair — a leader
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — a container
  10. present — there
  11. drill — army training
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stem — to come from
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. present — the time now
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. present — a gift

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