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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — the earth
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — a publisher
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — a position
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ground — crushed
  14. press — to push
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. vault — a safe
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chip — to eat
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mate — to breed

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