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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: pitch · stand · cell · lean · bore · press

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. 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. bore — to drill
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lean — thin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cell — in biology
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lean — to bend
  17. press — to push
  18. 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