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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. suit — in cards
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pitch — completely
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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