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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. vault — a safe
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — wild animals
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. press — to push
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — a publisher
  11. present — there
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. present — the time now
  16. game — a match
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — a gift
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. staff — employees
  23. content — the amount
  24. press — newspapers

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