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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · court · rash · pitch · press · bank · chest · ground

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — completely
  7. press — to push
  8. court — for sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rock — a stone
  12. court — of law
  13. ground — crushed
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ground — a position
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rock — music
  22. chest — a box
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rash — a series

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