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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: season · pitch · dip · can · vault · key · clip · pass

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. clip — to cut
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — of the year
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. clip — a video
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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