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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. track — a path
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. capital — a city
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. vault — a safe

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