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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: craft · mug · fall · pitch · pitcher · pop · press · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. press — a publisher
  11. craft — boats
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mug — a face
  17. press — to push
  18. mug — a cup
  19. row — a line
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  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