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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — to come down
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bass — the fish
  10. land — a country
  11. spring — the season
  12. root — the cause
  13. chip — to eat
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spring — a coil
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. vault — a safe
  19. land — ground
  20. root — of a word
  21. chip — for betting
  22. root — of a plant
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spring — of water

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