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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: press · coach · wave · mine · vault · pit · date · perch

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. date — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — to push
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pit — in a race
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. vault — a safe
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mine — for digging
  24. coach — a trainer

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