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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · mine · pitch · bass · coach · press · rash · rule

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — a law
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rule — government
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rash — hasty
  20. sharp — clever
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. press — to push
  24. rash — a series

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