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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — for golf
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. chip — to eat
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — to push
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. club — a group
  22. date — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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