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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. vault — a safe
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. net — in sport
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. court — of law
  15. press — a publisher
  16. court — of a king
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. net — for catching
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — after costs

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