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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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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 · stick · chip · face · firm · field · press · bay

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chip — to eat
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. field — a subject
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. field — farmland
  19. face — to confront
  20. firm — steady
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — for sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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