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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: press · vault · fork · kick · tear · pitcher · pass · foot

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fork — in a road
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. press — to push
  23. tear — from crying
  24. vault — a safe

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