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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: leaves · pitch · pit · pitcher · bat · mouse · mark · press

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. press — to push
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — newspapers
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bat — in an idiom

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