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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 120 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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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: press · bass · vault · bat · ruler · field · craft · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. press — a publisher
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. press — newspapers
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bat — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — a subject
  20. press — to push
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bass — low music
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bass — the fish

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