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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 · tear · firm · temple · pitcher · coach · fine · press

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — steady
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — completely
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — a company
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. press — to push
  22. fine — all right
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. firm — decided

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