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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. press — to push
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — in biology
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chest — of your body
  10. drill — army training
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — the tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitch — completely

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