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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — a path
  6. lean — to bend
  7. track — a song
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lean — thin
  15. press — to push
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chip — to eat
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chip — for betting
  24. vault — a safe

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