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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. swing — to play on
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — to push
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. swing — in golf
  16. craft — boats
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — low music
  19. swing — music
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cap — of ice

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