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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. band — a music group
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. club — a group
  7. track — to keep track
  8. press — newspapers
  9. vault — a safe
  10. track — a path
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wake — a trail
  14. club — for golf
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. track — a song
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. press — a publisher
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — in a race
  23. toast — bread
  24. band — a ring

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