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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — of a king
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mate — a partner
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. press — to push
  12. mate — to breed
  13. court — of law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kick — in football
  18. mate — a friend
  19. press — a publisher
  20. court — for sport
  21. vault — a safe
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. ground — a position
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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