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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.

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: rash · vault · pass · stick · net · rush · pitch · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rash — hasty
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitch — a sports field

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