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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 116 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: march · press · pitcher · wave · ruler · coach · key · tear

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — in music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — a publisher
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — to push
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. key — for a lock
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — the month
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — with your hand

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