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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: press · shower · key · bay · chest · pit · dip · pitch

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chest — a box
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. key — in music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chest — of your body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. key — the most important part
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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