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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: coach · deal · key · bound · cold · press · pit · pitch

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bound — certain
  9. key — in music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. key — for a lock
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cold — an illness
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. deal — to handle
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — to push
  24. cold — not warm

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