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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.

Make a worksheet

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: press · pitch · straw · staff · court · board · wave · mug

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of law
  8. mug — a face
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. court — for sport
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mug — to rob
  22. court — of a king
  23. press — to push
  24. pitch — completely

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