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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: pitch · lean · band · press · race · present · pitcher · rock

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — to push
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. band — a ring
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — there
  17. rock — a stone
  18. race — a contest
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lean — to bend

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