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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: squash · pitch · net · temple · field · press · coach · lean

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. press — a publisher
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. net — in sport
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lean — to bend
  16. press — to push
  17. field — a subject
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lean — thin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — the sport

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