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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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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 · craft · board · pitch · swing · club

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. club — for dancing
  3. craft — boats
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pitch — completely
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. press — newspapers
  10. swing — in golf
  11. club — a group
  12. swing — music
  13. press — to push
  14. club — for golf
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — to play on
  18. board — to get on

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