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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: stand · spring · wax · pitch · chip · press · club · face

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. club — for golf
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. press — to push
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — to bear
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitch — completely
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. club — a group
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. club — for dancing
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — to eat
  24. face — part of the head

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