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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitch — completely
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. object — a thing
  11. press — to push
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — temperature
  14. vault — a safe
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. object — to protest
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. object — an aim
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rush — to hurry

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