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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 120 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: stem · vault · key · firm · deal · game · press · pitch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. press — to push
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — a safe
  14. key — the most important part
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — newspapers
  18. firm — a company
  19. key — in music
  20. stem — to come from
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  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