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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. swing — in golf
  4. press — a publisher
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bark — to shout
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — to play on
  23. press — to push
  24. pitch — completely

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