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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · vault · ball · mark · bowl · bulb · saw · press

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ball — a great time
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mark — a grade
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bowl — a football final

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