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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. firm — a company
  5. field — a subject
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wake — a trail
  9. firm — steady
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chip — for betting
  13. firm — decided
  14. board — to get on
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. field — farmland
  18. press — to push
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — clever
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. field — for sport

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