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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. vault — a safe
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — to sink
  6. field — for sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. field — a subject
  9. squash — to crush
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. press — to push
  15. field — farmland
  16. squash — the sport
  17. dip — a sauce
  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