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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 120 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: ruler · straw · press · track · hand · coach · chair · pitch

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. track — a path
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. press — to push
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a leader

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