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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cell — in biology
  4. press — to push
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. tube — a container
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cell — a phone
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — a publisher
  24. degree — an amount

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