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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: chair · pass · season · press · vault · kick · kid · bass

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — in sport
  7. press — to push
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. season — of the year
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bass — the fish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. kid — child
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bass — low music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — in football

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