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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: board · press · season · lie · dip · drill · pitch · court

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lie — to recline
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — a publisher
  12. season — of the year
  13. court — of law
  14. press — to push
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. board — a committee
  22. season — in sport
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pitch — completely

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