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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: stick · pit · vault · press · mate · jam · bank · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — a safe
  10. press — to push
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. press — newspapers
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. mate — a friend
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pit — in a race

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