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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 · craft · dip · staff · press · march · file · bowl

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. march — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. craft — boats
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. march — the month
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. file — a document
  18. press — newspapers
  19. march — the month
  20. press — to push
  21. pitch — completely
  22. staff — a stick
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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