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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.

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: trunk · wound · pitcher · coach · safe · press · pitch · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. press — newspapers
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — a publisher

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