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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chair — a leader
  9. firm — decided
  10. key — in music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bark — to shout
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. firm — a company
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — for a lock
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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