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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a dance
  5. press — newspapers
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. present — a gift
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. season — of the year
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. pitch — completely
  21. press — to push
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ball — a great time

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