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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 116 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: wound · hand · shower · press · pass · prune · bowl · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hand — help
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — a permit
  24. hand — in cards

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