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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: press · hand · pitch · suit · racket · bowl · bore · roll

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. suit — clothes
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. press — a publisher
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitch — completely
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. roll — a list
  14. press — newspapers
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. suit — to fit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — to push
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. racket — for tennis

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