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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: rest · ground · stick · rock · bat · press · pitch · clip

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. clip — a video
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. press — to push
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rock — music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ground — a position
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ground — crushed

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