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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 120 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 · craft · press · bat · pound · fine · capital · straw

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. capital — money
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fine — all right
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitch — completely
  15. capital — a city
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. craft — boats
  22. pound — a weight
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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