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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bark · field · press · object · key · vault · pitch · season

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. season — in sport
  3. bark — to shout
  4. field — a subject
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. press — newspapers
  7. object — a thing
  8. pitch — completely
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. season — of the year
  12. key — for a lock
  13. field — for sport
  14. key — in music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. field — farmland
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — a safe
  20. press — a publisher
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. press — to push
  23. key — the most important part
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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