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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: object · pop · ball · ground · press · rush · drill · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — a position
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pop — soda
  6. object — a thing
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rush — hurry
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. press — to push
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. drill — the tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. object — an aim
  20. drill — army training
  21. object — to protest
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ball — a dance

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