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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: rest · toast · press · club · bay · arm · pound · pitch

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — to push
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rest — a break
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — bread
  16. rest — what's left
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. press — newspapers
  24. club — a group

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