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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: charge · field · bat · pitch · lean · fall · press · drill

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — to push
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — for sport
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — a price
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — a practice
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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