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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: foot · game · pit · kid · dip · press · stand · coach

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. foot — a measure
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. game — a match
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. press — a publisher
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kid — child
  17. pit — in a race
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pit — a hole
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stand — to bear
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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