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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. squash — to crush
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chip — to eat
  5. squash — the sport
  6. press — newspapers
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. vault — a safe
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. craft — boats
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. press — to push
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitch — completely
  19. chip — for betting
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. scale — in music

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