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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: pitch · march · cue · file · wind · press · stock · temple

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wind — moving air
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. press — a publisher
  11. file — a tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stock — goods
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a signal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. march — the month
  23. stock — shares
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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