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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ground — a position
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. season — of the year
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. current — electric
  11. ground — the earth
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — a group
  19. press — newspapers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — in sport
  24. club — for dancing

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