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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: deal · vault · perch · wake · press · pitcher · kick · pass

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — to push
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. kick — in football
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. press — newspapers
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — to spend time

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