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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ground — the earth
  3. club — for dancing
  4. scale — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. scale — size or range
  11. press — newspapers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — a group
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — for golf
  21. press — a publisher
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ground — a position
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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