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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: bulb · board · craft · foot · dip · court · wake · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. board — to get on
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. board — a committee
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. press — a publisher
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wake — a trail
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — for sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. bulb — for light

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