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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 · key · press · arm · bound · foot · mark · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. press — a publisher
  3. key — in music
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — for a lock
  6. object — an aim
  7. mark — a grade
  8. press — to push
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. key — the most important part
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. object — a thing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mark — to pay attention

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