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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. toast — bread
  6. rock — a stone
  7. board — to get on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. perch — the fish
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rock — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. press — a publisher
  18. board — a committee
  19. vault — a safe
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wound — an injury
  22. press — to push
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — newspapers

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