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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · season · foot · rule · vault · mouse · press · row

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. foot — a measure
  4. season — of the year
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. row — a line
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. season — in sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — a hat
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. press — to push
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cap — a lid
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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