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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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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: pitch · press · fine · wax · rule · vault · swing · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rule — a law
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. swing — in golf
  12. press — to push
  13. rule — government
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. press — newspapers
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. swing — music

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