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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bore — to drill
  8. press — to push
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pop — soda
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — newspapers
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pop — music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. roll — a list
  22. bore — to tire
  23. vault — a safe
  24. press — a publisher

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