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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: lie · key · pitcher · fine · coach · spring · content · press

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. content — the amount
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spring — of water
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lie — to recline
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. content — happy
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fine — high quality
  18. spring — the season
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. key — the most important part
  22. spring — a coil
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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