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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. board — to get on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitch — completely
  11. press — newspapers
  12. object — an aim
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fine — high quality
  15. squash — the sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. object — to protest
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. object — a thing

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