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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. track — to keep track
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cap — of ice
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stand — to bear
  13. swing — to play on
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. track — a song
  18. key — the most important part
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. key — in music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — a path

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