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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: wake · firm · pitch · pound · roll · fine · press · ground

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fine — all right
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ground — a position
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ground — crushed
  10. press — to push
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — a company
  13. roll — a list
  14. press — newspapers
  15. firm — steady
  16. pitch — completely
  17. firm — decided
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fine — a penalty

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