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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. game — wild animals
  3. land — ground
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. game — a match
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bark — to shout
  21. press — a publisher
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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