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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · calf · coach · pitch · press · rule · arm · dip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — a publisher
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — a law
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — government
  15. dip — to sink
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — to push

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