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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. 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. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — a subject
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. press — to push
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — a publisher
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. 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