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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. press — a publisher
  6. root — the cause
  7. suit — to fit
  8. root — of a word
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. suit — clothes
  14. press — newspapers
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. press — to push
  21. root — of a plant
  22. plane — a tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chair — to sit on

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