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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: fork · coach · press · fall · pitch · fan · staff · deal

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. deal — to handle
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. fork — to eat with

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