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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. press — newspapers
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — from a university
  7. file — a document
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. file — a tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. degree — an amount
  15. vault — a safe
  16. board — to get on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — to sink
  19. file — a line of people
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. degree — temperature
  24. board — a committee

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