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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. roll — a list
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. vault — a safe
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. press — to push
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. press — a publisher
  24. hide — to keep secret

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