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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: pitch · pitcher · staff · coach · fine · leaves · saw · rule

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rule — government
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fine — all right
  21. rule — a law
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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