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

Word bank: press · race · stand · mark · pit · pitch

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — in a race
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitch — completely
  8. race — humankind
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. press — to push
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mark — a trace
  18. 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