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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 120 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
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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: ground · press · pitch · arm · wake · saw · spell · coach

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. spell — magic
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ground — crushed
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — completely
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ground — the earth

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