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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — to get on
  4. degree — temperature
  5. face — part of the head
  6. press — to push
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. press — a publisher
  9. clip — for paper
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mark — a grade
  14. clip — to cut
  15. face — to confront
  16. vault — a safe
  17. clip — a video
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mark — a trace
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. press — newspapers
  22. degree — from a university
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — a committee

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