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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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468
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: vault · rush · capital · wave · lean · pitch · press · foot

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitch — completely
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lean — to bend
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — to rest against

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