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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: stand · pitch · press · ball · rock · track · cell · cap

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. track — a song
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. track — a path
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. press — to push
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — a lid
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — to keep track

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