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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: press · pitch · mug · file · rule · hand · march · stock

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mug — a cup
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. march — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. hand — help
  8. file — a document
  9. press — newspapers
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rule — government
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rule — a law
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. file — a tool
  22. march — the month
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mug — a face

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