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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rash — hasty
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. march — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cap — a lid
  15. march — the month
  16. cap — of ice
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cap — a hat
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. charge — in control
  23. rash — a series
  24. press — to push

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