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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — to push
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mark — a grade
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mark — a trace
  10. capital — a city
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — to get on
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. capital — money
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — a committee
  21. root — of a plant
  22. press — newspapers
  23. root — the cause
  24. vault — a safe

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