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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. press — newspapers
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. press — to push
  19. present — the time now
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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