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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: pitch · present · stick · mine · land · band · press · club

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — a country
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — ground
  7. mine — for digging
  8. band — a music group
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. club — for dancing
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. band — a ring
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. press — a publisher
  17. club — for golf
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — a group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. land — to come down
  24. mine — belonging to me

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