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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: pitch · rush · press · pound · bank · kick · race · kid

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitch — completely
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kid — child
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kid — to tease
  8. race — a contest
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rush — hurry
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. press — to push
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pound — a weight

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