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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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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: pitcher · firm · kid · pop · hand · racket · press · foot

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. firm — decided
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. hand — help
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pop — to visit
  8. foot — a measure
  9. press — to push
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — a publisher
  13. firm — a company
  14. kid — child
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. firm — steady
  18. kid — to tease
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitcher — a jug

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