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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. current — of water
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bass — the fish
  8. season — of the year
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. current — happening now
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. press — to push
  19. season — in sport
  20. current — electric
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. key — the most important part

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