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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 116 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: key · rule · pitch · tear · mark · press

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tear — to rip
  4. key — the most important part
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — government
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. key — in 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