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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: press · pound · toast · mouse · game · chest · current · board

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. game — a match
  6. press — a publisher
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. toast — bread
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. current — electric
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. current — of water
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — happening now
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chest — a box

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