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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: staff · press · board · object · land · present · swing · can

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. staff — employees
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — a country
  4. board — to get on
  5. object — a thing
  6. can — to be able to
  7. board — a committee
  8. swing — in golf
  9. present — there
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — to come down
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — a tin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. object — an aim
  17. press — to push
  18. staff — a stick
  19. land — ground
  20. press — newspapers
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  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