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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: press · bat · pitcher · swing · lie · cabinet · board · cue

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cue — a signal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. board — to get on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — music

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