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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: press · pitch · fork · deal · hide · drill

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fork — in a road
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — army training
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal

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