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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. vault — a safe
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cap — a lid
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cap — a hat
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rock — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cap — of ice
  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