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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 · wind · saw · stem · wake · coach · mouse · press

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — to push
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. press — a publisher
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mouse — the animal

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