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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: fall · pitch · press · racket · face · cue · hide · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cue — a signal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pound — a weight
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. press — to push
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fall — the season
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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