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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pop — soda
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. drill — the tool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — to push
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — newspapers
  17. capital — a city
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — army training

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