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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: cell · press · object · nail · last · pitch

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pitch — completely
  4. object — a thing
  5. cell — a phone
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. cell — in biology
  9. last — finally
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. object — to protest
  13. last — final
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. last — to go on
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. nail — on a finger

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