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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: nail · pitch · race · calf · coach · press

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. press — newspapers
  5. race — the arms race
  6. press — to push
  7. pitch — completely
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. race — humankind
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — a contest

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