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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
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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: lie · bark · present · press · pitch · jam · arm · court

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. present — a gift
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of law
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lie — to recline
  11. court — of a king
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. press — to push
  19. court — for sport
  20. present — there
  21. press — newspapers
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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