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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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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — to push
  4. game — wild animals
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stand — to bear
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. press — a publisher
  13. foot — a measure
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — newspapers
  16. game — a match
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators

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