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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: stick · game · sharp · pit · pitcher · tube · press · hand

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. press — to push
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — a container
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. hand — help
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — newspapers
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. hand — in cards
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. game — a match

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