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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. last — final
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. press — a publisher
  6. capital — money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. last — finally
  10. capital — a city
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. ground — the earth
  14. perch — the fish
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — crushed
  17. press — newspapers
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. staff — a stick
  20. last — to go on
  21. ground — a position
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — in cards
  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