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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: suit · pitch · season · safe · press · fall · band · vault

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. band — a ring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — completely
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. band — a music group
  9. fall — the season
  10. season — in sport
  11. vault — a safe
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. suit — in cards
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. season — to add flavour
  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