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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spring — a coil
  5. game — a match
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — wild animals
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — in cards
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spring — the season
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. suit — to fit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. scale — in music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — for weighing

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