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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: bass · bat · fork · press · pitcher · vault · pass · can

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bass — low music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — newspapers
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. press — to push

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