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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. swing — to play on
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. swing — music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pound — a weight
  11. capital — money
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. capital — a city
  20. pop — to visit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. vault — a safe

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