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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 120 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: pass · lie · court · press · pound · saw · drill · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. press — to push
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — a publisher
  6. court — for sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — a weight
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitch — completely
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. court — of law
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — to recline

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