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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. charge — electricity
  3. press — a publisher
  4. charge — a price
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. press — newspapers
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. band — a ring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. charge — in control
  17. band — a music group
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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