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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kick — in football
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — a container
  6. object — a thing
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rock — music
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — an aim
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bank — for money
  24. degree — temperature

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