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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tube — a container
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. vault — a safe
  8. press — to push
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. press — newspapers
  11. present — the time now
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — there
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitch — completely
  21. present — a gift
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tube — the underground
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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