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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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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: racket · charge · court · wave · wind · pitch · hide · press

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. charge — a price
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitch — completely
  18. court — for sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. press — to push
  21. court — of law
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wind — moving air

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