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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — a publisher
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wind — moving air
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — a safe
  24. band — a ring

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