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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: press · fan · lie · bat · bay · pitch · current · wax

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. current — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lie — to recline
  11. current — electric
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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