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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: firm · club · press · swing · pitch · hide

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. press — newspapers
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. swing — to play on
  8. firm — steady
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. press — to push
  12. firm — a company
  13. press — a publisher
  14. club — for golf
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. hide — to keep secret

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