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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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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: bowl · pitch · kid · leaves · pass · can · lean · vault

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lean — to bend
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pass — a permit
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bowl — a football final

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