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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 · ruler · bear · march · pitch · bat · lie · coach

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. march — music

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