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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: rush · press · stick · hand · pitch · degree · season · vault

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. season — in sport
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hand — in cards
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitch — completely
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rush — hurry
  21. season — of the year
  22. hand — help
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rush — a thrill

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