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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 120 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 · safe · foot · pitch · chair · cue · file · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. file — a document
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pitch — completely
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cue — for pool
  13. press — to push
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spring — the season
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. file — a tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — out of danger

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