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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: pop · foot · press · dip · march · pitch · board · race

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pop — music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. race — a contest
  5. press — to push
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pop — soda
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitch — completely
  12. board — to get on
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. march — the month
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. race — humankind
  17. board — a committee
  18. press — a publisher
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pop — to visit
  22. dip — to sink
  23. march — music
  24. press — newspapers

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