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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. branch — a division
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chip — for betting
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. clip — for paper
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cap — a lid
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. clip — a video
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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