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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bound · fall · firm · leaves · racket · coach · press

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. firm — steady
  3. bound — certain
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fall — the season
  11. firm — decided
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bound — obliged
  15. press — to push
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fall — to drop
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. press — newspapers

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