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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. rule — a law
  2. object — an aim
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — there
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. present — the time now
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. rule — government
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. present — a gift
  14. vault — a safe
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. object — to protest
  21. net — after costs
  22. press — to push
  23. object — a thing
  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