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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: pitch · deal · land · charge · staff · spring · game · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. land — a country
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spring — the season
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. staff — employees
  8. press — newspapers
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — electricity
  12. staff — employees
  13. spring — of water
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. charge — in control
  18. game — a match
  19. press — a publisher
  20. land — to come down
  21. charge — a price
  22. spring — a coil
  23. game — wild animals
  24. deal — to handle

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