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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: pitcher · bass · prune · march · arm · cell · press · coach

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. press — newspapers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. press — a publisher
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. march — the month
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. press — to push
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. arm — part of the body

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