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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. press — a publisher
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. field — for sport
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. field — farmland
  9. cap — of ice
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — a hat
  14. field — a subject
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. press — to push
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  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