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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 116 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: pop · pitch · ball · vault · press · capital

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. 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. ball — a great time
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pop — to visit
  6. capital — a city
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pop — soda
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. capital — money
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. press — to push
  17. pop — music
  18. 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