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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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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: press · bat · file · swing · pound · mate · pitcher · ruler

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. swing — to play on
  9. file — a document
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. swing — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — the animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mate — to breed
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ruler — for measuring

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