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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 116 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: band · lash · vault · pit · tube · press · racket · cap

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tube — a container
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pit — in a race
  20. band — a ring
  21. press — to push
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. vault — a safe
  24. racket — for tennis

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