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

Word bank: pound · racket · press · sharp · firm · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. press — a publisher
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. press — to push
  9. firm — a company
  10. vault — a safe
  11. firm — decided
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. press — newspapers
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. firm — steady
  18. racket — for tennis

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