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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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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: pitch · press · pass · pit · pop · saw · fine · vault

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fine — all right
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pit — a hole
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pop — soda
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitch — completely

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