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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
468
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: pound · pitcher · pitch · lie · press · march · pop · deal

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. press — to push
  6. march — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pop — music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. press — a publisher
  24. march — the month

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