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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — after costs
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a committee
  9. cold — an illness
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. net — for catching
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. press — to push
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cold — not warm

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