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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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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: bat · chair · kick · press · vault · board · toast · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. press — a publisher
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a committee
  9. kick — in football
  10. press — to push
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. press — newspapers
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bat — the animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chair — a professorship

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