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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.

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: pitch · fine · vault · lean · press · bulb · straw · sharp

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. press — newspapers
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — to push
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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