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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · chair · bay · spring · bat · season · vault · press

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. spring — the season
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. season — of the year
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spring — of water
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bat — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. press — to push
  24. bay — a horse colour

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