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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 · hand · game · pop · race · pitch · mark · firm

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — newspapers
  5. firm — steady
  6. race — a contest
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mark — a grade
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — completely
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. game — a match
  17. pop — music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. firm — a company
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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