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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: pitcher · swing · land · press · degree · firm · fork · stand

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fork — in a road
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — a country
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. degree — temperature
  12. swing — music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. land — ground
  19. degree — an amount
  20. land — to come down
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stand — to bear

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